About Me

Born in August 1887 in Awsworth Notts, to Henry and Sarah Lamin. Elder Sisters Catherine (Kate), Mary Esther and Sarah Anne(Annie) and Elder brother John (Jack).
Educated at Awsworth Board School, just outside Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England.
I served with honour in the 9th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment seeing front line action in Flanders and Northern Italy from the end of 1916 to January 1920.

Buy Kindle from amazon.co.uk

Link to The very first Posts

Helpful Hints

From 1st March 1918 the leap year in 2008 takes the synchronicity of the days and dates away. Decision: I will publish letters a day in advance so that the days of the week coincide, rather than the date.

"New" readers please note that the entries on each page are in reverse order, oldest at the bottom.

It doesn't work quite like a book. To make sense of the whole blog, take the link to the "First Posts", work from the bottom entry upwards and then take the "Newer posts" link at the bottom of each page for the next installment.

Link to The First Post. (New Readers)

Dear Kate I have just received your letter and was very pleased with it, it was such a long time since I heard from you. I am glad that Connie is getting on alright I hope she will soon be able to walk. I have not wrote to the firm yet I think it is not much use, as I dont think they have much work. Ethel has not said anything about the other men writing I dont think they all have if they want us they ought to send for us. I am going on as well as possible but I am just about fed up. Well I think we all are its about time we all got home but I expect we shall have to wait a bit and be patience things are very dear out here and I am very short of money as we dont get much pay. Glad to hear that you enjoyed you holiday with Jack and to hear that he is getting on alright. Write as often as you can and let me know all the news. If you can spare a shilling I should be very pleased as it would come in alright, hoping to see you soonWith Best LoveHarry

Harry's frustration is clear in this letter. "The firm"would be the lace factory where he worked before the war. He doesn't seem to be very optimistic about a job there. You may recall that Connie, now 9 years old, is at school in Liverpool, around 100 miles (160 Km) from home. BL

7 comments:

The delay must be frustrating enough, but having to manage with very limited pay, and high local prices must be very trying. It isn't the first time that I've had the impression that once the fighting is over, the hierarchy all but forgets about the men who did all the donkey work.I hope you manage to find work when you get back to England once more. It seems unfair that you've had to wait three months over there already.

Why are Harry and his fellow soldiers sitting in a tiny town in north-central Italy, nearly three months after the end of conflict? If they have plans for his battalion to participate in post-war security, it seems that would have taken place by now. I have read one resource that said some economists suggested not returning all the soldiers at once, to prevent worsening of already-high unemployment occuring throughout most nations in 1919. Poor Harry, unless he is unusual, the next twenty years will mean more hardship and suffering---followed by the horrors of WWII!

The age of industrial innocence when men believed that the 'firm' would look after them when they got back. Unfortunately those lucky enough to get back early were much more likely to get a job and those forced to wait take their chances.